Matrix Rental Solutions appoints two housing policy veterans to its advisory board

Matrix Rental Solutions, a Stamford, Connecticut-based technology company on a mission to improve access to fair and affordable housing, announced today the appointment of Joseph M. Ventrone and Rick Gentry to its board of advisors. Ventrone and Gentry will draw from their extensive experience to help guide Matrix as it aims to expand adoption of the Universal Rental Application and other cutting-edge affordable housing solutions.

Joe Ventrone’s expertise in housing issues spans over 45 years and includes stints in the private sector, top federal agencies and on Capitol Hill during both the Democratic and Republican administrations. Joe believes firmly that home is where the heart is and he has dedicated his career to housing policy and related financial and property issues. No one knows housing policy like Joe, with his vast and diverse experiences working for and with HUD, housing policy on behalf of the White House, the Federal Housing Finance Board, the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services, and working on behalf of the industry representing the nation’s realtors and homeowners at the National Association of Realtors for the last two decades.

“Based on my over 45 years’ experience in the field of housing and real estate I can say emphatically that Matrix Solutions is a game changer and will modernize the rental application process to the direct benefit of tenants and landlords,” said Joe Ventrone. “Nearly a half century ago the Federal Government began assisting the affordability issue with housing vouchers. For various reasons the job is incomplete, and citizens are not being served and the private sector landlords are frustrated, and the program is underutilized. Enter Matrix Rental Solutions, a benefit to tenants and landlords and a win win for both!”

With 50 years experience in the affordable housing industry, including 25 years as CEO in Austin, TX, Richmond, VA and San Diego, Rick Gentry most recently held the post of President and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Housing Commission, a public agency working to expand affordable housing opportunities in the City of San Diego. Each year, SDHC helps more than 80,000 low-income individuals with affordable housing through award-winning programs that benefit the city’s economy and revitalize neighborhoods. Prior to his work with the San Diego Housing Commission, he was Senior Vice-President of Asset Management at the National Equity Fund where he oversaw asset management of private sector equity investments in LIHTC (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) partnerships nationwide. He also held key roles as Vice President of Housing Authority Resource Center in Washington, DC and Executive Director, Redevelopment & Housing Authority, Richmond, VA, among other influential positions.

“I have held leadership roles in several government commissions and agencies with the aim of expanding affordable housing throughout the country and in Matrix Rental Solutions, I see a huge leap forward toward fulfilling many of the equitable goals we were working toward,” said Rick Gentry. “I am excited to contribute my more than 50 years of industry experience to the advisory board. Matrix’s Universal Rental Application is a huge breakthrough in making the rental process more streamlined and equitable. Matrix has created a solution that addresses a critical need and benefits both landlords and tenants across the United States.”

“Matrix Rental Solutions is on a journey to solving major housing problems around fairness, access and a mutually beneficial experience for both renters and landlords. It is incredibly important to us that we work with industry experts to ensure we bring our Universal Rental Application to the forefront and enable landlords to significantly reduce the risks of renting to lower income applicants,” said Sipho Simela, CEO and founder of Matrix Rental Solutions. “The addition of Joe and Rick to our advisory board adds a level of expertise and tenure that when paired with our AI-powered solution brings us one step closer to a future where the Universal Rental Application is standard nationwide.”

About Matrix

Matrix is a Universal Rental Application that is changing the landscape of the growing, $500 billion rental housing market. Matrix features a single, reusable application with a single fee, powered by real-time data and producing an “ability to pay” score. Using a variety of factors, including assets, income and previous rental history, the result is more inclusive scoring that gives property managers faster, more accurate insights into the full financial profile of a prospective tenant. Matrix removes the potential for source of income discrimination, taking the subsidy into consideration and automating the underwriting process. Today’s processing time for affordable housing applications is approximately 36 days. This leads to compounding losses, making public housing acceptance simply not an option for many owners. Matrix streamlines the acceptance process and shortens it by up to 50%, helping more owners make their properties available to affordable housing and get leased faster. For more information, please visit https://www.mymatrixrent.com.

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